Philippoussis is humbled by Weiner
SHANGHAI, China -- Defending champion Mark Philippoussis suffered a first round humiliation in the Shanghai Open, losing to unheralded American Glenn Weiner 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The defeat continues the woes of the powerful serving Australian, who was seeded number four. He has struggled badly for form this year, suffering 12 first round losses in a dismal season.
The world number 76 fell apart after he had looked sharp in the opening set.
Weiner had trouble controlling the Aussie's big serve, but in the second and third sets held his own and broke his opponent once in each set.
Weiner, 28, ranked 133 in the world, has not yet won an ATP tournament.
He now faces the winner of the first round match between Frenchman Jean Rene Lisnard and Gilles Muller from Luxembourg.
In other first round matches, Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France beat the last-minute replacement for absent number one seed Carlos Ferrero, Nathan Healey from Australia, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4.
Melle Van Gemerden of the Netherlands eased past Jan Vacek of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-2.
In Wednesday's first round matches, top seeded Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, runner up in 2003, meets Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan.